More than one out of every four Puerto Ricans surveyed in a scientific poll taken during July and August were seriously thinking of moving away from the territory.

The poll interviewed 1,500 residents of Puerto Rico for The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In addition to 27% who said that they were planning or seriously considering leaving the islands, 68% said that a close family member or friend had already left after the devastating Hurricane Maria. They reported that 75% of these departures were permanent.

Exactly one-quarter of those questioned said that their lives were still disrupted.

Exactly half, however, were optimistic about the future.

Sixty-one percent thought that the federal response would have been better if Puerto Rico had been a State. Forty-eight percent declared themselves in favor of statehood, 26% supported the current territory status, and 10% independence.